A natural shoulder joint may undergo degenerative changes caused by a variety of reasons. When these degenerative changes become so far advanced and irreversible, it may ultimately become necessary to replace a natural shoulder joint with a prosthetic shoulder joint. In the traditional implantation of a shoulder joint prosthesis, the natural head portion of the humerus is resected and a cavity is created in the intramedullary canal of the host humerus for accepting a humeral component. The humeral component generally includes a stem, and a head portion, which is used to replace the natural head of the humerus. Once the humeral component has been implanted, the glenoid cavity positioned at the scapula may also be resected and shaped to accept a glenoid component. The glenoid component generally includes an articulating surface or cup which is engaged by the head portion of the humeral component. Modular designs for the humeral and glenoid components are currently available for the traditional shoulder arthroplasty, and components of different sizes or shapes are at the disposal of the surgeon performing the operation.
The traditional shoulder joint implantation requires that the rotator cuff muscles be present and functioning normally. When this is not the case, a reverse shoulder prosthesis may be preferable. In the reverse shoulder prosthesis, the humeral component includes a stem, and a cup connected to the stem. The glenoid component supports a head which articulates with the cup.
It is not always practical to determine well in advance of the procedure whether a reverse or traditional shoulder prosthesis should be used. It is, therefore, desirable to provide a selection of modular components that can be combined for use in traditional as well as reverse shoulder arthroplasty, with the goals of increasing flexibility and choice and for providing interchangeable and easy to use components that are also cost effective.